Process of making an alloy of nickel and zirconium



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NAPOLEON PI ETINO'I', OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROCESS OF MAKING AN ALLOY 0F NICKEL AND ZIRCONIUH.

No Drawing.

' which has heretofore been regarded as impossible to produce may be made.

The difiiculty in making an alloy of nickel and zirconium is probably due to the great difference in the melting points of the two elements but I have found that if the zirconium in the nascent state is brought into contact with a bath of metallic nickel the alloy can be obtained.

In carrying out my invention I reduce zirconium oxid by means of aluminum or carbon in contact with molten nickel inan electric furnace. The invention may be carried out in various ways which are now set forth.

The nickel is melted in an electric furnace so as to form a molten bath and to this is added a mixture of zirconium oxid and aluminum the latter being in the form of shot or better still, powdered. The zirconium metal is then formed according'to the following equation:

The zirconium formed in this way is immediately taken up by the molten nickel bath with which it is in contact.

An intimate mixture of nickel, zirconium oxid and aluminium is fed into an electric furnace where the nickel is melted as the zirconium is formed and immediately takes up the latter forming the alloy.

An intimate mixture of nickel oxid, zirconium oxid and aluminum is fed into a'n electric furnace, the aluminum in this case being present in sufiicient quantity to reduce, not only the zirconium oxid, as already described above, but the nickel oxid according to the following equation:

In this case the metallic nickel reduced from the oxid immediately alloys with the zirconium reduced from its oxid.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

Application filed August 18, 1919. Serial No. 318,324.

The alloy produced by the various means described above is apt to contain some aluminum and in cases where there is an objection to the presence of that element in the allofy the. aluminum is replaced by some form 0 carbon such as coke; but otherwise the process is the same. However, in the case of carbon reduction I generally prefer the use of a mixture of carbon, nickel oxid and zirconium oxid so that the reactions which occur when the'mixture is heated in the electric furnace are as follows:

ZrO,+2C:Zr+2GO NiO+C:Ni+CO.

Whatever method of reduction is used the amount of nickel and zirconium in the original mixture is so proportioned as to give the desired proportions in the alloy.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The process of making an alloy of nickel and zirconium comprising the melting of nickel in an electric furnace so as to form a molten bath and then introducing in such bath zirconium in a nascent state.

2. The process of making an allo of nickel and zirconium comprising the me ting of nickel in an electric furnace so as to form a molten bath and then adding zirconium oxid and aluminum whereby the zirconium is immediately taken up by the nickel.

3. The process of making an alloy of nickel and zirconium comprising the melting of nickel in an electric furnace so as to form a moltenbath and then adding a mixture of zirconium oxid and aluminum whereby the zirconium is immediately taken up by the nickel. A

4. The process of making an alloy of nickel and zirconium comprising the melting of nickel in an electric furnace so as to form a molten bath and then adding zirconium oxid and carbon whereby the zirconium is immediately taken up by the nickel.

5. The process of making an allo nickel and zirconium comprising the me ting of nickel in an electric furnace so as to form a molten bath and then adding zirconium oxid and aluminum in a powdered form.

6. The process of making an alloy of nickel and zirconium comprising the intimate mixture of nickel, zirconium oxid and aluminum, then introducing such mixture into an electric furnace and heating the and same until the nickel is melted whereby zirconium-is formed and immediately takes up the nickel thus formin the desired alloy.

7. The process of ma ing an alloy of nickel and zirconium comprising the intimate mixture of nickel oxid, zirconium oxid.

and suflicient aluminum to reduce both zirconium oxid and the nickel oxid then introducing such mixture into an electric furnace and heating the same until the metallic nickel is reduced from its oxid and the zirconium is reduced from its oxid whereupon the desired alloy is formed.

8. The process of making an alloy of oxid and the nickel oxid then introducing such mixture into an electric furnace and heating the same until the metallic nickel is reduced from its oxid and the zirconium is reduced from its oxid whereupon the desired alloy is formed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed myname.

NAPOLEON PETI NOT. 

